Photoshop CS at Your Fingertips: Get In, Get Out, Get Exactly What You Need

Book Description

Fast Answers at Your Fingertips

Photoshop CS at Your Fingertips is the first ever task-based reference to Photoshop. Every page of this critically acclaimed guide is focused on giving you immediate access to the information you need to get your work done. Inside you'll find:

* Complete coverage of every aspect of Photoshop CS, from image correction and manipulation to printing to web design
* An intuitive organization that lets you search according to what you want to do
* Clear, step-by-step instructions
* At-a-glance shortcuts and time-saving tips
* A visual reference to the Photoshop CS interface
This groundbreaking book was written by expert authors who share inside knowledge accumulated over years of intensive Photoshop use. Whatever your field or level of experience, you've found the Photoshop reference you've been waiting for.

Customer Reviews:

Good way to find out how to work Photoshop CS.......2005-08-03

I like this book's task approach. Many times I just want to know how to do a specific thing. I can look up that task in this book and see exactly how to do it. Photoshop is very difficult to learn, but this book does a good job of simplifying the most common tasks. Thanks!

Easy to use and comprehensive.......2004-03-05

Are you the type that doesn't want to read an entire book just to get a quick answer? Do you like step by step instructions? Normally step by step instructions means that you need to do the entire book in order. This is great when you are learning to use an application and actually make something as well. But for the times when you want a quick answer AND get it step by step, this book fits the bill.

This book is a step by step reference. It is laid out in a very logical manner and covers the huge range of subjects for Photoshop CS. You can even use it if you have previous versions of Photoshop. The appendix lists all the new features of Photoshop CS and Image Ready CS.

I always love good quality paper in a book and this one not only has great paper but the layout is clean and crisp. Each task includes features such as tips, keyboard shortcuts and cross references. Another feature I particularly like is the interface images have letters in the image to match the description. This makes it easier for you to match the feature in writing to the feature in the interface. This is also done for many of the dialog boxes. There are also PC and MAC screen shots. When the MAC is different, a screen shot is included to show the difference.

Chapters 1-5 includes tasks covering the interface and tools.

Chapters 6-18 has tasks that are universal, such as opening, saving, working with color, canvas, selections, layers, masks, fills, filters, styles, paths, typography and automation. As you can see this covers a huge amount of information and tasks required to tap into the power of Photoshop.

Chapters 19-22 covers photos and videos.

Chapters 23-25 covers print tasks.

Chapters 26-29 covers web tasks.

If you want an answer fast or simply need to brush up on a new technique or tool then this book is the perfect step by step Photoshop CS reference book! When I want to get a quick answer, I reach for this book. I can easily use the index to locate the tool/task I need, go to it, do, it and get out.

A Designer's Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need (Design Field Guide)
Average customer rating:

Put this book in your tool belt.

Clear, very straight foreward

A great service to the design profession and it's clients

A Designer's Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need (Design Field Guide)
Jennifer Visocky O'Grady , and Kenneth Visocky O'Grady
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Arts | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Forms, Folds, and Sizes: All the Details Graphic Designers Need to Know but Can Never Find

Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and Implementation (Ava Academia)

Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design (Advanced Level)

Fingerprint: The Art of Using Handmade Elements in Graphic Design

The Design of Sites: Patterns for Creating Winning Web Sites (2nd Edition)

ASIN: 1592532578

Book Description

Doing research can make all the difference between a great design and a good design. Most experienced designers would quantify this "legwork" with the term research. By engaging in competitive intelligence, customer profiling, color and trend forecasting, etc., designers are able to bring something to the table that reflects a commercial value for the client beyond a well-crafted logo or brochure. Although scientific and analytical in nature, research is the basis of all good design work. This book provides a comprehensive manual for designers on what design research is, why it is necessary, how to do research, and how to apply it to design work. As designers embrace research methodologies, they share a common vernacular with their clients, and establish respect as idea people. In an increasingly crowded marketplace, embracing research practices will ensure a continued viable role for designers in business. No other books address this issue for student and professional graphic designers. Books on how to do research are usually aimed at writers, business marketers, and scientists. The ability to execute effective research methods is as important to a career in graphic design as the ability to build a grid or layout a page. Understanding the needs of the client and the client's market are essential components of creating value.

Customer Reviews:

Put this book in your tool belt........2007-03-08

This book is a must have for any aspiring designer. I have the good fortune of studying under the author of "A DESIGNER'S RESEARCH MANUAL" Mr. Visocky O'Grady. Ken is my 'Design research' instructor; he is a high-energy teacher with a vast knowledge in his field. I recommend to all designers/students that you add this book to your library.

Clear, very straight foreward.......2007-02-22

I had to buy this book for a Design Research class. I like the simplicity of the book and the information it contains. The authors dont bogg the reader down with a bunch of advanced technical terminology. I think this is a GREAT book for anyone just starting to get into design research. Its clear, consise and an all around good read. I've taken a few classes with Ken Visoky-O'Grady and he's an amazing professor. I think the book is a great first attempt and would be an asset for any young designer.

A great service to the design profession and it's clients.......2006-12-12

In my search for structured discussion on design process and research, I was fortunate enough to find this book, "A Designer's Research Manual," at the MOMA bookstore in SoHo. I only wish this had been available and required text when I was still in school. The Authors have done a great service to the design profession, and it's clients. Those of us who are more designers than "artists" would do well to integrate the principles of this book into our processes & methodologies for tackling our clients' business problems. It's thinking like that in this book that will make the case for design's value to the business of our clients. Thank you Jenn & Ken Visocky O'Grady!

Inspirability: 40 Top Designers Speak Out About What Inspires

Average customer rating:

Beautiful & Creative
Inspired!
Entertaining Motivation
Fresh, Fuzzy & Fun!
Truly Inspiring

Inspirability: 40 Top Designers Speak Out About What Inspires
PASH , and Matt Pashkow
Manufacturer: How Design Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books
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All Access: The Making of Thirty Extraordinary Graphic Designers
How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
Logo: Lab, Featuring 18 case studies that demonstrate identity creation from concept to completion
401 Design Meditations: Wisdom, Insights, and Intriguing Thoughts from 150 Leading Designers
Ideaspotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

ASIN: 1581805551

Book Description

It's hard for graphic designers to stay inspired when they're constantly working on deadline. Inspirability gives them a fresh look at how to keep those creative fires burning in the real world, with:

-Interviews with 40 design luminaries, including Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Scher, Milton Glaser and Margo Chase -Fascinating pictures the designers took of themselves and their offices, as well as samples of their design work -Revealing insights into what inspires each designer on a day-to-day basis

This book offers an original take on one of the most requested topics by graphic designers. It's a must-have tool for lasting inspiration!

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful & Creative.......2005-10-10

This book is very beautifully designed and put together. Wonderfully eclectic. A good reminder about how we fo and can get inspired by the smallest things. Also very funny. Read one story everyday to remind yourself that you really are a creative.

Inspired!.......2005-08-12

This is a fun read, like you are listing to the conversations between the author and the 40 top graphics designers. Besides their works, this book also let you know more about these designers in an approachable way. Different disigners get their inspiration in different ways. I am definity inspired by their conversation through this book.

Entertaining Motivation.......2005-08-02

I love the the featured designers' snapshots of themselves and their work space. The interviews are really well done, and I especially love the questionnaires with the designers' own scibbled notes and illustrations. It's really, really entertaining! You not only get to truly know them, but this book shows how unique these successful designers are and how they are deeply motivated-that in itself is inspiring. Every creative person should have this book. It's great fun and reference.

Fresh, Fuzzy & Fun!.......2005-07-20

I saw the author-Pash, speak at the How Design Conference in Chicago (June 2005). His presentation was about how he got the idea for this book. It was very cool and inspiring. I couldn't wait to get a copy and start reading it. This book is filled with 40 top graphic designers perspectives on what inspires them. Photographs of the designers and their work stations. As well as a survey page that they all filled out (and one for you to fill out too). It is the kind of book that is so much fun to read. You feel like you are right there in the moment. This book draws you in, includes you and most of all inspires you. This is a great book for a graphic designer to own.

Truly Inspiring.......2005-06-20

After buying this book (and being lucky enough to have it signed by the author!) I just couldn't wait to flip through it's pages and find out what inspires my heroes in the world of graphic design. I love the format the author has chosen for the interviews and being able to get a sneak peak into the designers' studios and see what inspires them. This book will remain a timeless addition to my bookshelf and I know I'll refer to it when I get stuck or need a bit of inspiration myself. The questionnaire is awesome, and I love how different they all are. It's a wonderful book and one that belongs in every designer's library.

What is Packaging Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

A lovely book
eye candy!

What is Packaging Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)
Giles Calver
Manufacturer: Rotovision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Design Secrets: Packaging: 50 Real-Life Projects Uncovered (Design Secrets)
Packaging Design: Successful Product Branding from Concept to Shelf
This End Up: Original Approaches to Packaging Design
Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands
Exploring Package Design: The Art and Techniques of Designing Exceptional Packaging (Design Exploration Series)

ASIN: 2880466180

Book Description

"A thoughtful and thorough book with some inspiring work -- great for students and anyone taking their first steps into the world of packaging."
Grafik

This is a highly visual, compact-format sourcebook, packed with top international packaging designers' contemporary work, accompanied by essays on the surrounding issues.

What Is Packaging Design? lays the foundations and professional guidelines for best practice when designing contemporary packaging. It opens with several short essays which define good packaging design and the issues faced by designers in this field. Design basics such as format, layout and typography are explored within the context of packaging design, taking into account genre-specific elements such as product information, branding, marketing and legislation.

Customer Reviews:

A lovely book.......2007-01-18

This is a relatively thick, small-sized book that's a joy to hold in your hands. It's compact, the bright hard-cover is silky and the inner layout is clear and glossy. The book is so easy to handle that I'd take it with me everywhere if I had a good reason to do so! It's a joy to hold, to read and to look at.

The book is divided into small chapters, covering most topics related to the universe of packaging design: market considerations, legislation, structural design and packaging types, surface graphics, typography and more. But each chapter is but a mere synopsis; this is not a book that expands much on these key topics, and it ends up not being very useful if you're trying to learn the specifics of each topic. The book also doesn't cover specific packaging materials at all, like other packaging books do. This is a great introduction to packaging design, but that's all. It's also a wonderful source of eye-candy, as each chapter features full page reproductions of original and innovative packages. Each image is commented and generally mentions the designer of each package, but there is no note on the materials, which leaves you wondering in a lot of cases. The last portion of the book is devoted to (very) brief case studies, which, once again, are mostly for show. But that said, it's a great show! Most of the featured packaging designs are truly original and beautiful.

"What is packaging design?" focuses mostly on theory and not on practical aspects, and that's simultaneously its strength and its downfall. In the end, you will know what packaging design is, but you won't know much about the process behind packaging design. If you're looking for the latter, try a different book.

eye candy!.......2004-02-25

Well organized and concise with lots of photos of good packaging design. A great book to turn to for inspiration.

What Is Graphic Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

Absolutely essential graphic design book !!
Great for amateurs looking to improve their skills
a reasonably harsh review

What Is Graphic Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)
Quentin Newark
Manufacturer: Rotovision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 2880465397

Book Description

The purpose of this book is to explain what graphic design is and how it works.

What is Graphic Design? starts by exploring the complex issues that shape design: economics, ethics, technology, theory and developments in other arts. It looks at how design has evolved over the centuries, from its origins in the Renaissance with the development of book printing, to the present day, where it includes areas such as magazines, corporate branding, television titles, film and websites.

Quentin Newark breaks design down into its elements, looking at what typography is, how text and pictures combine, and shows how the process of reproduction underpins every aspect of design and its practice.

Diverse work from leading designers from around the world illustrates how broad and rich the profession can be.

What is Graphic Design? is essential reading for students, teachers … anyone interested involved in graphic design.

Anyone interested in this book should also take a look at Quentin Newark's follow-up, What is Graphic Design For?.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely essential graphic design book !!.......2005-02-04

As a graphic designer, this is a recent discovery (and a very welcome addition) to my collection. Quentin Newark is a member of Atelier Works, one of the leading design studios in the UK. I haven't heard of it/him before, but i gladly found that he took a big gamble writing a book with the "definitive" title "What is graphic design" and won.

Newark's writings are sincere, humorous and concrete. This is a very intelligent and complex reading. Much more complex than it seems. The book shows that Newark did a lot of research since he mentions a lot of books and author's, putting design in an anthropological, ethical and cultural context(mentioning for example works by Rand, Sagmeister, Sontag, Lupton, Miller, McLuhan, Poynor -I guess that if you don't know who they are, you may not enjoy this book properly, so go back to your Macromedia Freehand!!-).

It doesn't matter if you are beginning your career as a student, or if you are a seasoned designer... "What is graphic design" will definitely contribute in a form or another to increase your overall perception about graphic design as a profession, a social medium or even a way of life. Highly recommended. I read it again, and again, and again... and again. If you like intelligent reading about graphic design (not the "How-to-make-a-80-layer-photoshop-composition" book)I'm sure you WILL enjoy it. Trust me.

Great for amateurs looking to improve their skills.......2004-04-05

The first thing I'll say is that if you want to learn techniques, look for books that expressly teach you techniques, usually specializing on how to do graphic design in Quark or Photoshop. If you want to know how to interpose photos X, Y, and Z with a semi-translucent orange overlay in the shape of a kitten... this is not your book.

This book answers the question "What is Graphic Design?" I'd always had this grandiose notion that it was billboards, posters, web sites... complex things. But it's as simple as the business cards and stationery for a two-person start-up who need a professional look. It's the side of a cereal box. It's the traffic signs at the airport. It's the tray-liner at McDonalds.

I didn't learn all that much about how to do graphic design, but I learned more about what it is and how much more often I did it, and encountered it, than I thought.

As I went on to other books, I could better identify what I did and did not like about certain designs and why I didn't like it. Nothing so powerful as Harry S. Truman's (attributed) "if that's art, I'm a Hottentot," but enough to make me able to look at what I do with a more educated eye.

In essence, if I had to sum up what I learned from the book. The answer to "What Is Graphic Design" is: "understanding how type, colors, lines, shapes, images, and empty space interact, then imposing some sort of order upon all that to create an effect and/or a message."

Will it help me with my ultimate goal making my web designs slicker and cooler? A little. I'll have a better critical eye. I'm following up with books on technique that might help a little more.

All in all, I walked away with four product/design ideas and I like the way it built a foundation for me. In my opinion, the book was very worthwhile.

a reasonably harsh review.......2003-01-14

if you enjoy reading, then re-reading paragraphs and then entire books, by all mean buy this. At times the author is quite insightful, though mostly seems to be voicing (in language no longer used) an external opinion on what the graphic design world is about. I wish I had done more research about this book and it's author before shelling out for it.

What a Character!: 20th Century American Advertising Icons

Average customer rating:

Small folk, big sellers
Great gift for the bright and quirky
Super Snappy!

What a Character!: 20th Century American Advertising Icons
Warren Dotz , and Jim Morton
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Meet Mr. Product: The Art of the Advertising Character
Character Trademarks
Advertising Character Collectibles: An Identification & Value Guide
Shelf Space: Modern Package Design 1945-1965
The Golden Age of Advertising - The 60s

ASIN: 0811809366

Book Description

From the Jolly Green Giant to bumbling Cap'n Crunch, advertising characters are as much a part of twentieth-century America as the familiar products they symbolize. Culled from one of the world's most extensive collections of promotional product icons, What a Character! presents a nostalgic assortment of advertising figures, including some of the most popular characters ever created. Lively, full-color photographs and an informative text offer an entertaining look at the remarkable history and enduring design of these pop culture icons, with their timeless appeal for consumers of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Small folk, big sellers.......2002-01-20

This delightful book of at least three hundred photos of advertising characters shows the public face of commercial America. Companies realised that a three-dimensional figure built brand awareness. Look through the photos and you have to admit they do look cute and so very collectable too.

This book is the author's second attempt at the same subject, he wrote an earlier book called 'Advertising Character Collectibles', more or less the same items in each book but the earlier copy had perhaps a bit more historical detail about the companies. I prefer 'What a Character', the photography and design are so much better and I think these count for a lot in a strongly visual book.

Both books have a photo of the character I would love to have, the Kraft Cameraman from Kraft Television Theatre. Yours for fifty cents and the end flap from a Velveeta carton in 1954, yours now for at least $100 without the end flap!

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

BTW The author has produced another super book along the same lines: 'Meet Mr. Product' (ISBN 0811835898) and published by Chronicle, too.

Great gift for the bright and quirky.......2001-06-11

I ran across this book in a offbeat-stuff boutique and couldn't put it down. An amazingly comprehensive view of all kinds of advertising characters over a century. This can't help bring back childhood memories, whether you're 20 or 85. And the writing is quite interesting as well. This one quickly made my gift list for some hard-to-choose person's birthday or christmas.

Super Snappy!.......2000-05-24

I love this book and love giving it as a gift as well. The thick colored photographs glorify these quirky, spooky, adorable, impish, goofy figures. This is not just another boomer collector on my kitchy 50's coffee table book. Oh no! The writing is musical, provocative and sociologically insightful. I'll never look at an advertising character again in the same way. Chronicle does tasteful stuff but this book with it's tribe of characters is a yummier feast for those who long for magic from our breakfast cereal and motor oil and in moments once spent between the twilight zone and Mr. Clean . Bye bye kittie!

What is Publication Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

What is Publication Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)
Lakshmi Bhaskaran
Manufacturer: RotoVision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop

ASIN: 2940361460

Book Description

The comprehensive guide to all forms of printed publication

Publication design is a wide and diverse area, covering everything from magazines, newspapers, and books to annual reports, brochures, product catalogs, newsletters, and journals.

What is Publication Design? Is the comprehensive guide to all forms of printed publication. Aimed at a wide audience, covering consumer, corporate, and trade markets, it explores everything from transport and display to issues of sustainability and advances in technology.

The book contains an international portfolio of design. Among other things, it explores printing and finishing techniques, the feel of the publication in hand, and graphic design, making it a comprehensive and essential guide to a complex and fascinating subject area.

What is Graphic Design For? (Essential Design Handbooks)
Average customer rating:
What is Graphic Design For? (Essential Design Handbooks)
Alice Twemlow
Manufacturer: RotoVision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Arts | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 294036107X

Book Description

What is Graphic Design For? is a major new graphic design handbook, which extends the issues raised in the bestselling original What is Graphic Design?

This guide to the world of graphic design, explores all the issues that shape contemporary design: economics; ethics; technology; multimedia communication; theory and developments in other fields that impact globally on local cultures. A special focus on work from emerging design locations, including China, Russia and Eastern Europe, is particularly invaluable.

Book Description

Following the huge success of the Essential Design Handbooks series, What is Typography? is the ultimate compact guide to the discipline that lies at the epicenter of design and communication. This unparalleled handbook explores the formal structures and acceptable variations of type as fundamental disseminators of information. It also uncovers the various ways in which typographers, as well as linguists, psychologists, philosophers, and information designers, have applied studies in this area.

What is Typography? breaks down the anatomy of typography to explore tools and processes, methods of organizing the mechanics of type, and the various means of arranging and displaying type. It also looks at how different media, and consequent reproduction processes, underpin every aspect of typographic design.

Book Description

The latest edition in the best-selling Typographics series, this guide puts designers ahead of the curve, giving them a sneak peek at the sharpest designs currently being produced in the cutting-edge realm of zines and e-zines.

As this inspiring book illustrates, rapidly advancing technological developments in both print and electronic magazine mediums are allowing for unprecedented creativity in graphic design. Designers will discover amazing new ways to use these developments to the fullest of their potential, including examples that take binding, printing and embossing to groundbreaking extremes.

They'll also find information on the latest design techniques for incorporating film clips, interviews and live interactive events into a dynamic site that is functional as well as engaging. The final section explores the newest trends in magazine publishing that blend print with disk for an exciting, multimedia approach to communicating. Each design offers generous captions highlighting the production process and initial concept, in addition to insightful commentary from the actual designer.

Roger Walton is the Art Director at Duncan Baird Publishers and the editor of Typographics 1, 2 and 3, Hot Sites, Cool Sites, and Sites for Sound. He lives in London, England.

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